Mobile Hotspot Compare

If you’re looking for mobile hotspot plans and devices that will suit your PC tablet or iPhone iPod Touch, here the breakdowns of the plans and devices, we’ve also added some tips to save you money!

Comparing Mobile Broadband Plans

Three of the major carriers such as Sprint, AT&T and Verizon all have hotspot plans available. Listed below are the various carriers that can offer hotspot plans, their pricing, features and the devices available:

$39 to $79 per month. $39 per month for 2GB. $49 for 5GB. $79 for 10GB.

No annual contracts are available. $10 for 100MB for 7 days. $30 for 1GB for 30 days. $50 for 3GB for 30 days.

Performance

One the most important features that you should look at when considering a hotspot are the download speeds. These are the speeds that you’re going to receive when you’re connected to your hotspot device. Based on some speed studies across the web from publications such as Computer World, listed below are the average download and upload speeds for most devices:

Download Speeds

Verizon – 9 to 11 Mbps

T-Mobile – 5 to 8 Mbps

Sprint – 1.5 to 3 Mbps

AT&T – 1 to 2.5 Mbps

Upload Speeds

Verizon – 2.5 to 3 Mbps

T-Mobile – 1 to 1.7 Mbps

Sprint – 0.22 to 0.40 Mbps

AT&T – 0.56 to 0.70 Mbps

NOTE: These speeds are going to vary depending on the network that you’re connected to and your geographical locations. Take these as an average as to what you should expect when connecting to each individual network.

Battery Life

Taking an average battery life from a variety of devices that the carriers had to offer, noted below are the average lifespan that you should expect:

Verizon – 3 to 3.5 hours

Sprint – 3.5 to 4 hours

AT&T – 3.5 to 4 hours

T-Mobile – 3.5 to 4 hours

Wi-Fi Range

Another aspect to take into consideration is how far your signal will travel. Again, these are averages conducted by many various publications across the web. This is an average number:

Verizon – 90 to 100 feet

Sprint – 65 to 75 feet

AT&T – 85 to 95 feet

T-Mobile – 75 to 85 feet

Additional Options

Those that don’t want to purchase a hotspot stand-alone device to serve as a wireless Internet hub can consider using their smartphone. You’ll find that newer phones such as the iPhone 4S offer a built-in hotspot application that instantly turns your phone into a hotspot device. All smartphones don’t offer this capability. Keep in mind that tethering does cost more if you choose this option with your carrier.

Tethering Costs

Verizon – $20 extra per month on top of your data plan. This provides 2GB extra.

Sprint – $30 on top of your monthly bill. This won’t provide any extra data.

T-Mobile – $15 per month. No extra data available.

AT&T – $45 per month for a 4G tethering plan.

Please note that if you do go over your data, each carrier will charge an additional fee for each GB downloaded for that billing period. Carriers are also known to bring your data to a slower rate. The great thing about tethering is that there is no annual commitment involved and the user can cancel at any time.

How to Tether for Free

Many users don’t like the idea of paying an additional fee to their carrier. If you don’t mind risking your data, you can consider jailbreaking your iPhone or rooting your android device, then you can download tethering apps that will tether the phone for you for free. Keep in mind that if you go over your data limit or raise red flags, your carrier can slow your speed speeds or even shut down your service. With that being said, proceed at your own risk.

Apps For Free Tethering

MyWi for the iPhone

Android WiFi Tether

JokuSpot Light WiFit Hotspot

Each of these apps is going to turn your phone into a WiFi hotspot. This will help you bypass the subscription fees. Again, if going this route, try to limit your use on these apps. Don’t play videos, stream music or surf 24 hours a day. If you view a few websites here and there, you will find that there shouldn’t be a problem.

Phones that Allow Tethering

If you’re unsure if your phone offers any sort of WiFi tethering, listed below are the current phones that allow this function:

Atrix 4G

BlackBerry Torch

BlackBerry Torch 9810

Captivate

Focus

Infuse 4G

Inspire 4G

Phoenix

Quantum

Surround

Veer 4G

Admiral

Conquer

Epic 4G

EVO 4G

EVO Design 4G

EVO Shift 4G

Galaxy S II Epic 4G Touch

iPhone 4

iPhone 4S

Milano

Marquee

Nexus S 4G

Optimus S

Photon 4G

Replenish

Transform

Transform Ultra

XPRT

Amaze 4G

CLIQ 2

Comet

DoublePlay

Exhibit II 4G

G2X

Galaxy S 4G

Galaxy S II

Gravity Smart

myTouch

myTouch 4G Slide

myTouch Q

Optimus T

Radar 4G

Sensation 4G

Sidekick 4G

Wildfire S

Continuum

Droid 3

Droid Bionic

Droid Charge

Droid Incredible 2

Droid Pro

Droid RAZR

Droid X2

G’zOne Commando

iPhone 4

iPhone 4S

Pre 2

Revolution

ThunderBolt

Xperia Play

How to Save Money

The problem with most carriers out there is that they will require that you sign some sort of two-year commitment. If you want to get around this, consider purchasing a refurbished device on the Internet through auction websites such as eBay. Many carriers also offer refurbished devices as well. This way, you don’t have to sign the deal in the first place.

Another option to consider is by looking at prepaid plans. Carriers such as T-Mobile and Verizon both offer prepaid plans where you can purchase data ahead of time and use them as you go. This is a great way to use your hotspot for a day, week or month. Once your time limit expires, you’ll just have to renew with a card again.

Disclaimer

Disclaimer: we are not affiliated with the device manufacturers or phone carriers we mention in any way, all suggestions are based on our own experience and research, you may use our advice at your own discretion.